Tag Archives: tunicate

Coralline Algae Discoveries, Impossible Invasive Plants

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Weather:

  • Visibility 15+ NM
  • Sky clear
  • Wind 5-10 knots SE
  • Sea state: calm

Visitors/Marine Traffic: 

  • One medium sized catamaran passed through race passage this morning drifting on the current
  • This afternoon we were joined by Guy and Christine, who brought us some generator hardware and spent a bit of time enjoying the beautiful weather.
  • Quite a bit of commercial traffic outside the reserve today including barges of logs and shipping containers.

Ecological: 

  • There are quite a few beginnings of seagull nests now. They have become more aggressive, and now fight each other over space. We have seen some pairs mating.
  • We have been finding coral-like white fragments in the intertidal since last year, but until now have not been able to identify what they could be. Today we found some that were not white, but red! This insight has led us to believe that this is coralline algae. Amazingly, this article states that these unassuming structures can continue to grow forever (!) if left undisturbed and have growth rings that be counted, just like trees!
  • As Gary Fletcher mentions in this post, prostrate knot weed is one of the invasive species here on Race Rocks. We noticed that it is particularly efficient at growing in places where no other plants are able, therefore it’s beginning to spread in rocky areas. It has notably spread to the rocky areas on the SW side of the island where no other flora nor fauna has managed to establish itself.

 

Cystodytes lobatus: Lobed compoud tunicate

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Cystodytes lobatus photo by G.Fletcher.. 1980

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
subphylum Urochordata,
Class Ascidiacea

Order Enterogona
Family Polycitoridae
Genus Cystodytes (Ritter 1900)
Species lobatus
Common Name: Lobed compound tunicate

 

Other Members of the Subphylum Urochordata at Race Rocks 
taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.

 Garry Fletcher

Ascidia paratropa : Glassy tunicate –The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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glasstunicate

Glass tunicate image by Ryan Murphy. ID by Rick Harbo Sept 2014

Phylum Chordata,
Subphylum Urochordata,
Class Ascidiacea,
Order Enterogona
Family Ascidiidae
Suborder Phlebobranchia
Genus Ascidia
Species paratropa
(Huntsman, 1912)

 

 

 

 

 

This is a solitary tunicate, 10-15 cm tall.. We find these only occasionally at Race Rocks, sub-tidally  at about 10-15 metres. The colonial ascidians are always more abundant.

Other Members of the Subohylum urochordata at Race Rocks 
taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.

 name –year (PC)

Corella willmeriana: Tansparent sea squirt–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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rmcorella

Corella willmeriana : Photo by Ryan Murphy

Ryan took this picture of Corella underwater at Race Rocks. Note inside intestine and other internal organs.
From Wikipedia:
“Reproduction and Development
Hermaphroditic; ‘Corella willmeriana‘ breeds throughout the year. The eggs are fertilized in the atrial chamber, where they develop in to the free-swimming tadpole stage before released. Swimming larvae remain juveniles for <2 days before anterior adhesive organs allow for attachment to substratum. This triggers metamorphism, which entails enlargement of pharynx for filter feeding; the notochord is sucked back into body and is no longer present in adult form.”

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Urochordata
Class Ascidiacea
Order Phlebobranchia
Family Corellidae
Genus Corella
Species willmeriana (Herdman, 1898)
Common Name: transparent sea squirt
Other Members of the Subphylum Urochordata underwater at Race Rocks <
taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.

Didemnum albidum, ascidian- The Race rocks Taxonomy

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See Reference on Bacteria in Didemnia Produce Anti-cancer compounds

SALT LAKE CITY, May 9 (UPI) — U.S. scientists said they have discovered a microbe found inside sea squirts produces a compound that has anti-cancer properties. Some of the Didemnum species are considered invasive such as  Didemnum vexillum and Didemnum perlucidem 

Look for references on UV light absorbing Tunic Cells in Ascidian

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Tunicata
Class Ascidiaacea
Order Aplousobranchia
Family Didemnidae
Genus Didemnum  ( Savigny, 1816)
Species albidum
Common Name: ascidian

 

Other Members of the Subphylum Tunicata at Race Rocks 
taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.

 Garry Fletcher

Chelyosoma productum: disc-top tunicate

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This disc-top tunicate is attached to one of the valves of a purple-hinged rock scallop.

From ucmp.Berkeley.edu: “The Urochordata, sometimes known as the Tunicata, are commonly known as “sea squirts.” The body of an adult tunicate is quite simple, being essentially a sack with two siphons through which water enters and exits. Water is filtered inside the sack-shaped body. However, many tunicates have a larva that is free-swimming and exhibits all chordate characteristics: it has a notochord, a dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, and a post-anal tail. This “tadpole larva” will swim for some time; in many tunicates, it eventually attaches to a hard substrate, it loses its tail and ability to move, and its nervous system largely disintegrates. Some tunicates are entirely pelagic; known as salps, they typically have barrel-shaped bodies and may be extremely abundant in the open ocean.Urochordates have a sparse fossil record. A Precambrian fossil known as Yarnemia has been referred to the Urochordata, but this assignment is doubtful. Complete body fossils of tunicates are rare, but tunicates in some families generate microscopic spicules that may be preserved as microfossils. Such spicules have occasionally been described from Jurassic and later rocks. Few paleontologists are familiar with them; tunicate spicules may be mistaken for sponge spicules.”

Other Members of the subphylum Urochordata at Race Rocks 
taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.

Garry Fletcher

Synoicum parfustis: peach-coloured compound tunicate–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Photo by Ryan Murphy

Photo by Ryan Murphy

The small dark spots embedded in the matrix of this Synoicum parfustis are living commensal organisms: the compound tunicate amphipod, Polycheria osborni. This amphipod lives in various compound tunicates.

 

Other Members of the Subphylum Urochordata at Race Rocks 
taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.

October 2015 (PC)

Pycnoclavella stanleyi, Yellow Social Ascidian–The Race Rocks taxonomy–

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Image by Adam Harding, West Race Rocks July 2010

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Urochordata
Class Ascidiaceae
Order Enterogona
Suborder Aplousobranchia
Family Clavelinidae
Genus Pycnoclavella
Species stanleyi
Common Name: Yellow social ascidian

Pycnoclavella and the nudibranch Flabellina verrucosa

Close up of the tunicate,image by Ryan Murphy
 

Other Members of the Subphylum Urochordata underwater at Race Rocks <
taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.

Didemnum carnulentum: The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Photo of Didemnum sp.(white colony)  was taken at Race Rocks by Dr. Armin Svoboda. We had taken  Dr Svoboda to Race Rocks at the request of Dr.Anita Brinckmann-Voss. He shared many of his excellent phots with us afterwards

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordate
SubphylumTunicata
Class: Ascidiacea
Order: Aplousobranchia
Family: Didemnidae
Genus Didemnum
Species carnulentum
Common Name: ascidian

Reference : Bacteria in Didemnia Produce Anti-cancer compounds

SALT LAKE CITY, May 9 (UPI) — U.S. scientists said they have discovered a microbe found inside sea squirts produces a compound that has anti-cancer properties.

UV light absorbing Tunic Cells in Ascidian

Other Members of the subphylum Urochordata  at Race Rockstaxonomyicon

Return to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File

 

pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.

 

Distaplia smithi

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This video was taken in the lab:

A general view of the habitat of this ascidian in the high current area near the tidal current turbine.

A general view of the habitat of this ascidian in the high current area near the tidal current turbine.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia
Sub-Phylum Urochordata
Class Ascidiacea
Order Enterogona
sub order Aplousobranchia
Family Claveliidae
Genus Distaplia
Species smithi
Common Name:Club Tunicate

II took this picture the first time I encountered this ascidian when diving at Race Rocks. I had no idea what kind of organism it was at the time .. I referred to it as a grape ascidian .. GF

Other Members of the subphylum Urochordata at Race Rocks 
taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.

October 2006- Garry Fletcher